LOGAN – The Great Salt Lake (GSL) Watershed is over 21,000 square miles and it is what is called a “closed basin”; no water flows out. Fresh water enters GSL from precipitation, from three rivers (the Bear, Weber and Jordan) and through internal springs.
A just-released analysis sought to understand how water moves through the basin and what improvements might help manage water in the lake.
Results of the study were released by Utah State University researchers Eileen Lukens, Bethany Neilson, Sarah Null and Eryn Turney.
The study was done by Utah State University and the Utah Division of Water Rights. The results of the analysis are expected to help the state engineer make decisions that promote wise stewardship of the lake’s water.
To understand the diverse measurement needs in the Great Salt Lake basin more than 160 stakeholders contributed to the study. Several water management bills enacted in Utah has left legislators understanding that protecting Utah’s water is only possible with data that tracks and quantifies available water.